Hurd Partners with Google to Help Small Businesses in San Antonio Get Online

San Antonio, TX—U.S. Representative Will Hurd announced today that he has partnered with representatives from Google to host free tech workshops for Texas entrepreneurs and small business owners in San Antonio on November 9th. Hurd’s workshops are part of Google’s Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map program aimed at providing businesses across the U.S. with an online presence. Google experts will help small business owners create their own websites and Google listings for free. Participating businesses will receive a customized domain name, free web hosting for one year, a local business listing on Google Maps, free tools, training and resources. Google experts will be on hand to train the business owners on how to reach more customers and get discovered online.

“Over 2.3 million small businesses in Texas employ about half of the state’s private workforce and make up over 98% of all employers in the state. These businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, and in an increasingly digital world it is vital that entrepreneurs and small businesses have the resources they need to thrive,” said Hurd. “There is no denying that the internet has dramatically changed the way that consumers access information and engage in commerce. These workshops offer an opportunity for our local businesses to use technology to access a broader audience and be more competitive in today’s economy.”

“The perception that getting online is complex, costly and time-consuming has prevented many Texas small businesses from taking the first step,” said Emily Harris, Marketing Manager for Google’s Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map program. “This program makes it fast, easy and free for businesses to get online."

Small businesses need to be online because that’s where their customers are. In fact, four out of five people use search engines to find local information, like business hours and addresses. Research shows that businesses with complete listings are twice as likely to be considered reputable by customers. Yet, only 37% of businesses have claimed a local business listing on a search engine. That’s a lot of missed opportunities for small businesses.

Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map aims to provide businesses across the U.S. with practical solutions to access new customers online. By making the process of getting online fast, easy, and free, more customers will be able to find businesses in their area when they turn to the web for information.

Small businesses interested in attending the November 9th workshops can learn more and register HERE.